If At First You Don't Succeed
by Ford.Ye.Fiji
Summary: ... Try, try again. In which, the Silence follow that little saying and the Doctor meets another River. Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who or Firefly, if I did, Wash would still be playing with his dinosaurs (With the Doctor.)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Working through writers block. Sigh, my worst enemy. Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who or Firefly. If I did, there would be a million seasons of Firefly already.**

"I told you. All of space and time, everything out there! In the black, Simon!"

Simon Tam soothed his sister gently and rubbed her back as she babbled nonsense.

"They told me too! They did, I'm supposed too... I have too."

"Shh, Shh, River, you don't have to do anything. The academy isn't here."

She had been getting progressively worse in her mutterings and Simon had been overly concerned the past couple of days. River was confined to her quarters after she almost stabbed the Captain. Rivers short explanation had been,

"Thought you were him, suspenders and all."

She was back to staying far away from the crew, always rambling and they would find her in the oddest places at times and singing the strangest song. River had started singing it now.

"Tick tock goes the clock,

And all the years they fly,

Tick tock goes the clock,

You and I must die.

Tick tock goes the clock,

You cannot run forever,

Tick tock goes the clock,

Even for the Doctor."

The song sent shivers up his spine and he often wondered if she had learned it at the academy. River got up and Simon realized she had taken the meds. She drifted out of the room, her gauzy pink skirt trailing behind her.

"AH! Doc! Make your rutting sister stop singing! It's gorram creepy!"

He jumped slightly when he realized that his wraith-like sister must have found Jayne. The consequences would be terrifying if he left them at it. Of course, he wasn't afraid for his sister, he was afraid for Jayne and what Mal might do if River tried to kill somebody again.

He quickly sprinted out of the room following the sounds of her haunting soprano singing.

"Tick tock goes the clock,

She cradled and she rocked him,

Tick tock goes the clock,

Till River kills the Doctor."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: ****Sorry this took so long but this isn't going to be a regularly updated fic. More like something to get my creative juices flowing. Anyway, huge thank you to my various followers! This chapter is for you guys and I hope it meets your expectations! Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who or Firefly. **

The Doctor bounced excitedly around the console. The Ponds! Ahh, his wonderful Ponds! He had missed them so! Especially River, he did keep running into her though. Younger and younger every time... He cherished every second he had with her. Even more so when he bumped into her when she was older. Those times were few and far between.

Anyway, Ponds! It was their wedding anniversary. He had just gotten the message- with himself on it, so he knew he had to be there. The TARDIS jolted and he skidded unsteadily on his feet.

He hastened back to the console worriedly. What was bothering her this time? He pulled a handle and pressed a button. Ah! There it was, he was not in his Pond's time. In fact- far from it. The Doctor shrugged, well, his old girl obviously wanted him here.

**~I'm/A\Leaf/On\The/Wind~**

Kaylee sighed as she heard stomps coming from the grate above her head. Mal was having another tantrum. Well, not a tantrum... He'd better not catch her callin' it that or else he'd _really_ throw a tantrum... Or somethin'. Actually, forget she used the word tantrum at all.

The Capin' was just sulky cause he got in another battle of wits an' exchange of insults with Inara. Honestly, ever since he'd gotten slashed across the chest by River he'd been more grumpy than usual.

Kaylee sighed and went back to lookin' at the problem Zoe had been describing about the panel on cargo hold. She was just nearly finished and half covered in grease when she heard it.

_Vworp vworp vworp._

She looked out in the main area of the cargo hold and gasped. A blue box had just materialized into her ship! She stood up and stepped forward cautiously.

"Don't go near it Kaylee! We don't know what it is!"

Kaylee obeyed Mal without question. The Captain was already down the stairs and he advanced slowly against his own advice.

"Sir?" Wash's voice came out over the speaker, "We've got weird readings in the cargo hold, like- like something just popped in there. It's about 1-"

Kaylee grabbed the radio, "Wash get Zoe and Jayne down here, the Captain might need backup."

The door of the box creaked open and Mal's gun was out, quick as a flash. A man had stuck his head out and he stared crosseyed at the gun almost touching his nose.

The man swallowed and then grinned sheepishly. "Nî hão zuò?"

Kaylee giggled despite the strangeness of the situation and Mal scowled. The man cringed and shrugged as Jayne and Zoe arrived.

The armed pilot's wife spoke, "Sir? What the dìyù is going on?"

**Dìyù- hell**

**Nî hão zuò- howdy do **


End file.
